Collapsible clothes drier



sept. 18, 1945. P, BERMN' 2,884,878

AGOLLAPS IBLE CLOTHES DRIER l Filed June 1, 1944 Zzezor PAU L BER MAN y ,orneg Patented Sept. 18, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ooLLAPsIeLE CLOTH-Es panca APaul Berman, Philaiielp'hia, Pa. Application inne 11-, 1944, serial No. 588,273

(ci. sii-100') 4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to clothes drying frames and more particularly to improvements in the construction o'f a type of clothes drying rfrarhe having a plurality or radially ex tending,r collapsible drying arms.

Among the objects of the present invention is the pro-vision of a type of clothes drying frame having a plurality of radially extending drying arms which may quickly and easily be collapsed or expanded to either occupy a minimum 4o'f storage space or to provide a maximum length Iof effective clothes drying arms. yIt is 'a further object oi thisA invention to provide means which will retain the drying `arms in collapsed position against accidental displacement thereof and which will p'e'rimit quick and easy disposition of selected arms ,in their expanded clothes drying position. s

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent vfrom the description of the accompanyingrdrawing in which: l

Figure 1 is a plan view of the clothes drying frame of my invention in expanded position;`

Figure 2 is a Ysection of the clothes drying frame taken on line 2.-2 of Figure l and showing thel clothes drying frame mounted upon a suitable bracket; and l Figure '3, is a detail View in perspective of a section of the clothes drying frame showing the means for mounting the drying arms. Referring to the drawing, Figure 2, the clothes drying frame of my invention comprises generally a centrally disposed main supporting base ymeme ber or -hub 4, drying arms 5 mounted on the hub 4 anda supporting member 6 by means of whichthe frame may be mountecllupon anysuitable wallbracket, such as that designated by the ref erence numeral .'I.

The generally circular shaped base member 4, preferably of metal, has a hollow tubular depends ine,r sleeve 8 through which is adapted to extend a vertical post 9 which yis an extension of the supporting member 5. Formed on the post Sis a stop Il) upon which the hub 4 rests, being secure ly held in this position by a wing-nut I I threaded on the post 9. Ii desired1 the supporting member 5 may be reversed from that as shown for insertion downwardly through the bore of the tubular sleeve 3 in order to provide an overhead support for the member 4, in which case the stop I l] would engage the upper surface of the member 4 and the wing-nut I I the lower end of the tubular sleeve 8. An annular ring I3 and a plurality of circumferentially spaced outwardly extending radial arms l2 are preferably formed as integral parts of the base member '4, the annulaii'ng 41.". intere connecting the outer ends' bi the 'arms l2. As most yclearly appears in Figures 2 Iarfd 3, the arms I2 are 'each notched, 'as at It, to provide a plural-ity of cilourhfer'nt'ally falined Shoulders o1 seats for 'a purpose winch will presently appear. Formed integrally with the base member '4 at the top thereof is a 'circumferential ilan' i9 which extends outwardly 'abbve the inner ends oi the arms l2 'and constitutes abutment for the inner ends 0f th drying fnnlbers 5i 'individual clothes-supporting drying members 5, each Witl'i'ah elongated `slt IB adjacent 'th inner end thereof, are disposed between each pair of the arms l2, these members 5, which are tiarpel'e'd in cl'o'ssesect'ion to cooperate specially with the usual type of l'oth'es pin, being f any 'd'- sired length and of any suitble material; such 'as wood. Each of these members 5, which rests 'with its bottom edge in a seat '2D 'rnd in the 'tiig i3 (see Figure 3'), is held in place by means or ret' inirlg wire 22 which estenos commonly through theA slots la or the several 5the retaining wire 2'2 beine held securely in position Within the circumferehtially alined -seats l5 b3 drawing theV wire tautly thereabout and twisti-n the omis together, `as at 213, It 'will be noted that when the arm 5 is in full line position (see Fiure 2), the upper edge of -its' inner end is 'engaged beneath the overhanein'g' flange or ledge I 9 while the lower edge thereof rests upon the outer sup porting ring I3, the retaining wirezz being then in engagement with the innerl end of the clon-- cated slots I8 of the drying arms 5; y

when these members 5 are in the positions shown in full lines, the clothes o'lryingr freine is inits expanded position providing a maximum length of el'hiective clothes `tl'rying ainl's. T colilaps'e tlie frame,` each armtnispivotally raised about the wire 22 'froin the full line substantially horizontal position to the dotted line position '25 show-ri ih Figure 2, the arm 5 at the sanietirne being then shifted 'so that the n nre` pivot 22 en-` eases, the outer end oi the slot ls. it will be seen that in this position 25, the ann is tilted 4pai-yl: its dead 'center vertical position and that tl'ie tot) edge of the slotted end of the arm rests against the ledge I9 ilifllile the bttin xedge of the arm rests against the inner faee of trie ring I3. The arms 5 will remain in the dotted line position 25 due to the fact that they are beyond dead center and in this position the clothes frame is collapsed and will occupy a minimum of storage space.

In the handling of the collapsed storage frame, if the arms 5 should be accidentally displaced from the dotted line position 25, it will be noted that the arms will not fall to the full line position, but will be stopped in an intermediate position, as shown by the dotted line position 24, with one edge of the arms 5 resting against the underside 26 of the base member 4. To move any selected arm 5 from the dotted line positions 25 or 24 to the full line position, it is only necessary to shift that arm lengthwise of the pivot wire 22 for the length of the slot I8, thereby permitting the end of they' armto1 be disengagedfrom the underside 25 of the base member 4, with the result that the arm 5, being free to pivot on theA wire 22, then engages the ledge I9 and the ring I3 for maintenanceL in fully extended substantially horizontal position. It will be noted that and supported by said radial elements, the arrangement being such that the said arms may be selectively shifted relatively to and rotated about their respective pivots to cause any selected arm to assume either a horizontal position in which opposite edges thereof, at points spaced to either side of the pivot, respectively engage the connecting member at the outer extremities of said radial elements and the overlying ledge at the inner extremities thereof or a generally upright position in which one edge thereof engages the lower edge of said depending ange.

3. In a collapsible clothes drying frame, in

combination, a centrally disposed main supportmeans have thus been provided whereby the arms are retained in collapsed position against accidental displacement and whereby any arm may be selectively moved from a collapsed inoperative position to a' fully extendedoperative position.

kIt will be understood, of course, that the present-invention is susceptible of various changes andmodications which may be Ymade from time to time without-departing from the general principles or real spirit thereof, and it is accordingly' intendedv to claim the same broadly, as well as specifically, as indicated by the appended claims.

i What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. In af collapsible clothes drying frame, in combination, al centrally disposed main supporting'member having an annular flange from which project va plurality'of circumferentially spaced radially extending wing-like elements, an annular member extending Ycircumferentially about and-interconnecting the outer extremities of said elements, an annular ledge on said flange overlying the inner extremities of said elements, a plurality of radially extending clothes supporting arms each-disposed between a pair of said elements with its Vinner end pivotally secured against displacement therefrom, the arrangement being such that opposite-edgesof each arm are respectively engagea-blaat points spaced to either sidev ofthe pivot point with the upper face of said annular member and with the lower face of said annular ledge to support the arm in a substantially horizontal position, and means providing for longitudinal shifting of each .clothes supporting arm relative to its pivot .point whereby said arm may be supported in generally upright position withvone edge thereof in engagement with the lower edge of said depending flange.

2. In a collapsible clothes drying frame, in combination, a main supporting member having a depending annular flange from which project a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial elements, each pair of adjacent elements defining a spacethere-between, a-member extending circumferentially about and interconnecting the outer extremities o f said radial elements, an annular ledge 4on said iiange overlying theinner portions of said element/s and a plurality .of radially extending clothes supporting arms each having an elongated slot adjacent the inner end thereof, each arm being disposed with the slotted end thereofpositioned between a pair of adjacent elements aforesaid, and pivot means for said arms projecting commonly through the slots thereof ing'member .having a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending wing-like elements, an annular member extending circumferentially about the outer extremities of said elements, an annular ledge on saidsupporting member overlying the inner extremities of said elements, a plurality of radially extending clothes supporting arms each disposed between adjacent pairs of said wing-like elements, each of said arms having an elongated slot adjacent the inner end thereof, and a common retainer for said arms consisting of a wire bail extending circumferentially through the slots of said arms and supported by said wing-like elements at points spaced between said annular member and annular ledge, said elongated slot in each arm being operative in associationr with said retainer to prevent complete disengagement of the arm from saidledge when said arm is radially extended to rest uponsaid annular member.

4. In a collapsible clothes drying frame, in combination, a centrally disposed main supporting member having a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending wing-like elements, an annular member extending circumferentially about the outer extremities of said elements, an annular ledge on said supporting member overlying the inner extremities of said elements, a plurality of radially extending clothes supporting arms each disposed between adjacent pairs of said wing-like elements, each of said arms having an elongated slot adjacent the inner end thereof, and a common retainer for said arms consisting of a wire -bail extending circumferentially through the slots of said arms and supported by said wing-like elements at points spaced between said annular member and annular ledge, the arrangement being such lthat opposite edges of each arm are respectively engageable at points spaced to either side of the pivot point with the upper face of said annular member and with the lower face of said annular ledge to limit movement about its pivot in one direction and with the inner face of said annular member and with the outer edge of said annular ledge to limit movement about its pivot in the opposite direction, each of said arms being further characterized in that the elongated slot thereof is of such length and so located relatively to its retainer as to effectually preclude disengagement of the arm from the lower face of the annular ledge when the arm is rotated into engagement with the upper face of the annular ledge.

PAUL BERMAN. 

